Don't Re-Elect Kit Bobko For Hermosa Beach City Council

"The idea that oil drilling is some inherently unsafe activity — I question that" 

- Kit Bobko

Here Are List of Reasons Not To Re-Elect Kit Bobko . . .

1)  Lead Negotiator of Illegal Oil Settlement
2)  Disruptive Behavior & Promotion of Personal Political Agendas

3)  Kit Bobko's Horrendous Public Voting Record

4)  Multiple Brown Act Violations

5)  Kit Bobko is Hiding Oil Related Expenses

6)  Kit Bobko Thinks Hermosa Beach Wastes Money Yet Wants $ By Oil Drilling?

7)  Kit Bobko Bulldozed His Colleagues Into Signing Oil Settlement & Silenced Them

8)  E&B Was Illegally Drilling Under Kit Bobko's Watch

9)  Kit Bobko's Hypocrisy About Transparency

10) Kit Bobko's Long History of Wasting Tax Payer Dollars

11) 15 Ways Kit Bobko's Leadership Is Not Impartial To Oil Drilling

Read these letters to the Easy Reader Editor 

Out with Bobko

Hermosa Beach city councilman Kit Bobko’s affection for the limelight has clouded his judgment over and over. His recent press release to the newspapers about the selection of Police chief was wrong. His judgment and his critical thinking process are way out of whack. He seems to be more interested in his name being published in the paper and heard on radio or TV than performing the duties of his city council post. His ego caused the city to retain a public relations firm to the tune of $10,000 a month and the city council has spent over $200,000 on this public relations firm over the last 20 months. Bobko wastes money further by going outside this highly paid public relations group and issues his own personal press release, touting his Mayors position for his pick for new Police Chief.

In doing so he went against city policy, a code of ethics and the established procedure for this city hire. He misleads the public as though his title of mayor was voted upon, which it was not. His need for media attention superseded all common sense. Worse yet, he does not understand that his actions actually cost his favored selection the job. The city manager would have appeared to be a stooge of Bobko’s had he gone with Bobko’s press release candidate for police chief. The reason the city council does not get involved in the selection of department heads is that it would lead to a poor selection process. Bobko knows this. He is currently serving as ceremonial mayor at the pleasure of his four other council colleagues. In addition to a resolution of censure, he should be voted to be removed by his other councilmembers as the ceremonial mayor as soon as possible.

Hermosa Beach has no use for such self-promotion and abuse of the ceremonial title of mayor. In November, the electorate can elect some less publicity oriented persons onto the dais.

Michael Keegan

Pure poppycock 

Hermosa Beach Councilmember Kit Bobko’s self promotional letter about how he was instrumental in ensuring “that our City was not overrun on the 4th of July” is pure poppycock. First of all, he alone cannot authorize spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for 50-LA County Sheriff’s Deputies, a “35 foot ‘jail bus,’ and mounted horse patrol.” Secondly, the real reason such significant resources are required is because Bobko and his council colleagues have tolerated a party atmosphere with rampant drunkenness and out of control people for years. Moreover, when the city allows July Fourth to begin with the “Iron Man” event that violates Hermosa Beach’s prohibition of alcohol on the beach, it sets the “agenda” for a day of out of control partying and drunkenness. Residents should ask themselves if a more reasonable solution would be to close all our alcohol serving establishments at 6:00 PM on July Fourth and also cancel the illegal “Iron Man.” That would probably stop the city from being “overrun” on July and cost a whole lot less than the city is currently spending on public safety for July Fourth

Fred Huebscher

Here are the people endorsing Kit From His Web Site  . . . 

• South Bay Chapter of the LA County Lincoln Clubs
• Former Congressman Steve Kuykendall
• Don Knabe, Los County Supervisor
• Michael DiVirgilio, Hermosa Beach Mayor Pro Tempore
• Jack Burns, Hermosa Beach School District Board Member
• George Barks, Former City Council Board Member
• Richard Montgomery, Former Manhattan Beach Mayor
• Bob Holmes, Former Manhattan Beach City Council Member
• Art Yoon, Former Hermosa Beach City Council Member
• Greg Breen, Former Board Member, Hermosa Beach School District
• Bill Sigler, Former Parks and Recreation Commission 
• Steve and Susan Blaco
• Danay DiVirgilio
• Doug Gneiser
• Bruce Greenspon
• Dorothy Harley
• Ken Hartley
• Manny Serrano
• Corinne Ybarra

New Erin Brockovich & Promised Land Movie Be Written In Hermosa Beach

Did Hermosa Beach City Council Members Get Paid Off?

Hermosa Beach City Council oil drilling silence looks just like the movies Erin Brockovich & Promised Land.  Your silence doesn't allow us to have a proper dialog or debate as leaders of our City.  Your silence makes us suspicious and looks like you have been paid off.  If someone wanted to set up a house of prostitution in Hermosa Beach would you be impartial to that?  

E&B Natural Resources is Publishing "Half-Truths" in South Bay Newspapers

E&B Natural Resources is publishing "half-truths" in South Bay Newspapers

Former Hermosa Beach City Council Member JR Revitsky has been involved with the oil drilling issue for decades.  Steve Layton is poisoning the well and should have to wait until all the studies are done before publishing his propaganda and half truths.  Poisoning the well is not playing fair!  He asks how do we stop it? 

Is The City of Hermosa Beach Hiding Oil Related Expenses?

Howard Longacre Letter to City Council May 20, 2013 (Item 3) 

(Please excuse my typos below)

3)  Request for clarification as to where/how the City is specifically keep track of the accumulating city expenditures which are not being reimbursed by E&B Natural Resources as related to the likely 2014 oil ballot measure.  

When the settlement agreement between the parties was announced in March of 2012, it was indicated that E&B Natural Resources would be paying essentially all of the costs leading to an election for the purposed of determining if the people of Hermosa Beach would lift the City's ban on oil drilling.  

Later it was announced that city staff time utilized for all additional work related to preparation for an election would be reimbursed by E&B at an amount equal to 10% of the cost of the EIR preparation.  And further it was indicated that E&B would cover the costs of obtaining the EIR, and would pay not more than $50,000 of the actual election costs.  

Since then the Council has approved hiring (at the City expense) consultants to do such things as the City's own "Economic Study", and for a "Community Dialog" process (some or much of which "Community Dialogue" will be oil drilling related according to the RFP for that consultant.) 

There appears to be a significant amount of staff time being expended daily on various aspects of oil drilling.  Thus, if the EIR preparation costs amounted to $800,000 in total, that would mean E&B would only be reimbursing the City $80,000 for all of its cots for consultants, meetings, reports, attorney fees, staff time and on and on for the extraneous activities leading to the oil drilling election.  

The people were essentially told by the Council that the oil litigation was over and that their only costs going forward would be one of the following:  

• If the electorate approved oil drilling at an election then the City's obligation to E&B would be $3.5M, plus the City's own costs ongoing attorney and staff time indefinitely, plus essentially the giving over to E&B for their use of a parcel of City Yard land presently worth $11M or more.  In other words an approximate total city burden of $14.5M plus city expenditures of perhaps $500,000 indefinitely.  

• However, if the electorate maintains the ban on oil drilling they'd simply owe E&B $17.5M and that amount could be paid over a period of years, ie. 30 years at "mutually agreed terms". 

All need to be reminded that the settlement agreement requires an extremely valuable 1.3 acre city parcel, with a present value of $11M or more if properly zoned, to be handed over gratis to E&B, along with $3.5M cash, if the voters approve lifting the ban on oil drilling.  

Further, all need to be reminded that the city and the school district are to be receiving relatively poor share of the hypothetical oil revenue (it should be not less than 50% in total of direct oil and gas sales revenue).  This unfortunate fact indicates that past city councils really did give away the store to Macpherson.  Why they so stupidly did that is past history.  

3-a)  The question here is, how is the city keeping track of its expenses month by month, and where can the public and the Council view and be aware of the ongoing escalating expenses in a manner, ie via a spreadsheet tabulation?  Such tabulation should clearly indicate the ongoing costs being reimbursed by E&B from their deposits fund, along with the ongoing costs being reimbursed by E&B from their deposits fund, along with the ongoing city expenditures not being reimbursed by E&B from their deposits fund.

See Item 4 Brown Act

Who Owns Present & Future Oil & Gas Mineral Rights?

Howard Longacre Letter to City Council May 20, 2013

1)  Request for clarification regard the present and future ownership of the oil and gas mineral rights that were own by the City prior to the original agreement(s) with Macpherson.    

1-a)  Who owns / controls the City's original oil and gas mineral rights at the present time? 

1-b)  Who will  own/control the subject mineral rights if oil drilling IS NOT APPROVED by the voters, and for how long?  

1-c)  Who will own/control the subject mineral rights if oil drilling is approved by the voters and for how long? 

2)  Request for clarification regard the Oil Lease expiration data. 

2-a)  How many years remain on that oil lease? 

2-b)  Is the clock presently ticketing on that oil lease or has it been suspended due to the prior oil litigation, and if so is it still suspended and to when? 

2-c)  If oil drilling is NOT APPROVED by the voters what happens to the oil lease, ie. does it expire immediately, will it ever expire, will the clock continue to tick? 

2-d)  If oil drilling is approved by the voters what happens to the oil lease, ie. when does it expire, will it ever expire and if so when? 

A Cry For Help From More Hermosa Beach Residents

Listen to what Kevin Sousa, Michael Collins, Hany Fangary, Allan Mason and Stacey Armato have to say at the Hermosa Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.  They are all speaking to the issue of E&B Natural Resources drilling in the Hermosa Beach City Yard without a County permit.

Related Articles:
Hermosa Beach Residents Catch E&B Drilling Without a County Permit
Hermosa Beach Patch "City Cited For Lack of Drilling Permit

Why Did Hermosa Beach "Neighborhood Watch" Postpone Their E&B Oil Information Meeting?

Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch Postpones E&B Informational Meeting

A neighborhood watch meeting during which three E&B Natural Resources executives were going to present information on the company's proposed oil production project in Hermosa Beach has been postponed, according to Tracy Hopkins, Hermosa Beach resident and volunteer neighborhood watch founder.  Tracy is the co-founder and co-coordinator of the Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch Saferhermosabeach.com.  Safer Hermosa has a large following on Twitter at @SaferHermosa.

Ironically, Tracy was also featured on this The South Bay Show "Preparing for Disaster." The web site Safer Hermosa focuses on crime prevention and disaster preparedness.  Tracy also appears to be in the business of selling disaster preparedness kits and training programs.  She said on this show that Neighborhood Watch was inspired by watching the Katrina disaster in 2005.

HBNW receives $5,000 in funding from the city, said Tom Bakaly, city manager, adding that the $5,000 is used for National Night Out, an annual event that cities nationwide participate in in August.  Tom said the city was "kind of staying out of" the meeting and any controversy surrounding it. "This is their [neighborhood watch's] information setting," he said. "It's an informational meeting."

It does not take a genius to realize that most of the communities that have oil and gas drilling have much higher crime rates.  Go to DrillingMaps.com and you can make the obvious correlation yourself.  If oil drilling is permitted it will undoubtedly change the demographics of South Hermosa even further.  Renters will go up and so will crime rates.   

Why Is Oil & Gas Corruption Rarely Detected?

Over the next 20 years, it’s expected that oil production in California will increasing dramatically.  Yet many cities rich in oil and gas are home to some of the State's poorest people. How can this happen? Too often, wealth stays in the hands of politicians, industry insiders and local people. Revenues don’t get published and the surrounding community suffers as the quality of living goes down. Payments made to governments to exploit resources remain secret. Bribery and embezzlement go unchecked.

Many oil and gas companies protect the identities of their equity holders and subsidiaries. This allows corrupt leaders to hide stolen funds unnoticed. Inadequate financial statements make it easy to disguise corrupt deals, and impossible for any of us to monitor them. Many oil and gas companies don’t publish information by state and city. This allows them to hide the royalties, taxes and fees they pay. But without this information, we can’t hold governments to account for the money they receive.

The entire oil and gas industry spent on average $400,000 each day lobbying senators and representatives to weaken public health safeguards and keep big oil tax breaks, totaling nearly $150 million.

Stolen oil and gas income has terrible consequences and is widespread through the United States and World. It benefits an elite few. But for everyone else, it fuels conflict over resources and health and safety.  The solution?  Would you trust these people based on their track record?  Here is our list of suspicious E&B Natural Resources deals.  Submit your anonymous suspicious below under discussion . . .  

Hermosa Beach City Council is Not Taking Responsibility for A Huge Mistake They Made

Barbara Ellman Describes 

Oil Drilling vs Hermosa Beach Residents is Not a Fair Fight

Ira Ellman Describes Why E&B Natural Resouces Oil Drilling Is Not A Fair Fight

$2 Out of Every $3 From Oil Money is Wasted or Stolen

$2 out of every $3 earmarked for development from oil money is wasted or stolen. 

How is this similar to what could happen in Hermosa Beach?  Storm drains, schools and City infrastructure are all being used as "leverage" to try and convince people that we need the oil money.  However, the State of California has a tide lands trust which restricts oil money.  Are we supposed to trust the accounting of  E&B Natural Resources based on the history of their management and founders?  

Hermosa Beach School District Oil Information Sharing Meeting

George Schmeltzer's Speech to Hermosa Beach City Council
"This is the more important thing that will hit Hermosa Beach in the last 50 years."


Ray Waters, Hermosa Beach School Board
"The Costs Overwhelm Any Benefits To City or Schools"

This Is How We Raise Money For Hermosa Schools 
Thanks to the Ed Foundation Donors

Matt Damon Promised Land Movie Review

We attended the advanced screening of the Promised Land movie on Tuesday, December 11 in Hollywood and here is our review.

Promised Land is one of the most informative & entertaining movies about real life and local economics in the United States today.  Just when you think you understand all of the characters in the movie there is a big twist to the story at the end.  The twist to the story at the end of the movie will make you question every source and quote you hear in the media and from City Council promoting oil and gas revenue benefits and jobs.

Here are some oxymoron examples our City Council is currently using in Hermosa Beach "environmentally safe oil drilling" and "carbon neutral".   These hypocritical marketing buzz words should make you question the agenda of City Council and why they are unwilling to hold a public debate on the oil drilling issue.  

The movie also shows you how divisive money and oil can be on a community.  It tears apart a small town that lacks intelligent political leadership and shows you the hidden corruption oil companies use to influence politicians.  Just like Hermosa Beach, there are hardly any educated people doing research or who understand the risks of doing oil drilling so close to homes.  In the movie a professor eloquently presents the risk factors of drilling to an audience at a public debate and turns the tide the oil drilling project.

The movie also shows you that our politicians have their priorities in the wrong place and should be thinking about our health and safety first before creating jobs.  Not surprising a politician is willing to say anything for some cash presented and favors.

It makes you wonder why the Hermosa Beach City Council is under a confidentiality agreement (page 4) and never presented the settlement agreement in a public forum for debate.  Sounds pretty corrupt and suspicious to me.  

Some critic lobbying groups have tried to discredit the movie by saying Middle East OPEC money has financed the movie  . . .

After all, the movie "is financed in part" by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an OPEC member country.   

This is a stupid argument since 47% of the 27,000 fracked wells in the United States were for oil and 53% were for gas.  Fracking is not just about gas.  See DrillingMaps.com database for more details on fracking locations in US.

Please like Promised Land movie on Facebook.

Here is the the Promised Land Movie Trailer. 

Here is some ridiculous propaganda trying to taint the movie claiming a conspiracy about Middle East oil money is behind the movie exposed fracking to promote oil.  Excuse me . . . but there minority investments of Middle East oil money in just about every company in the United States and these claims are ridiculous   For Matt Damon to claim he didn't know where some of the money came from is completely legitimate.  

Josh Fox of Gasland discusses his view on the film about the oil and gas industry taking away and exploiting what we have work so hard to build.